Buying a Home -- What’s Deductible?
Realtors are quick to point out that home ownership allows a lot of tax advantages not available to someone who merely pays rent. A homeowner can deduct points used to obtain a mortgage when buying a home, mortgage interest paid during the year, and property taxes.
Those are the basics.
There are rules and guidelines to these deductions, however. Even ...
One way to find candidates to interview is to talk to professionals from real estate related professions and ask their opinion. If you know someone who is employed as an escrow officer, title representative, homeowners insurance salesman, or loan officer, they will be able to recommend Realtors from the area they work in.If you talk to a loan officer, be sure it is someone who deals primarily ...
Confused about real estate commissions? You're not alone. Here are some answers to a few of your most common questions.
There’s no question a good real estate agent can be a valuable resource when it comes to buying or selling a home. But how much is that help going to cost? First of all, if you’re the one buying the home, it isn’t going to cost you anything. ...
Top 10 Home Buying Mistakes
Use our list of common house-buying mistakes to avoid costly regrets.
1. Doing it alone. Buying a house is a complex transaction. Even if you don’t use an agent, you’ll need a complete, dependable team: lender, lawyer, inspector, insurer, as well as referrals and advice from friends and family. Enlist the help of these individuals ...
Snow and Ice Removal
Old and new methods explained
By Tom Morgan
A fresh blanket of snow is a pretty sight. Maybe for a few minutes. Or in a photograph. Or if youre a kid and youre getting a snow-day. But if youre a homeowner, removing this blanket is no cozy chore.
Snow blowersEveryone knows about snow shovels, of course, but an alternative worth considering if you live in a heavy ...
6 household tips to keep handrails, counters and baseboards together
Here are some simple ways to solve basic structural problems without calling in an expert.
By Popular Mechanics
Over time, many household details begin to sag and fall apart, but you don’t have to let your home suffer from gradual decay. Here are easy fixes for wobbly handrails, sagging closet rods, baseboard gaps and ...
Yet another try at foreclosure rescue
By Tami Luhby, senior writerJanuary 28, 2010: 6:59 PM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Under fire for the low number of people receiving long-term mortgage help, the Treasury Department on Thursday announced new guidelines that will require applicants to provide all paperwork before getting a trial modification.
The new policy will make it harder for ...
Take Advantage of Homeowner Programs to Avoid Foreclosure
September was a month full of chaos in the mortgage and housing markets. Looming failure of Wall Street titans like Lehman Brothers and AIG, buyouts of troubled banks like Washington Mutual and Wachovia, and talks of federal government intervention made interest rates unpredictable for potential homebuyers. With ARM loan interest rates continuing ...
Many homeowners are losing money because they’re determined not to sell for less than they paid, but that faulty logic can be costly.
By Marilyn Kennedy Melia of Bankrate.com
Many home sellers are losing money -- precisely because they're determined not to lose money. So why won't your home sell?
One reason homes are languishing on the market is that owners are suffering from ...
This Month in Real Estate - January 2010